


Midnight

by OneDreamADay



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Community: eleventy_kink, Concentration Camps, Gen, Nazi Germany, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Prompt Fill, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2013-03-18
Packaged: 2017-12-03 21:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/702640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneDreamADay/pseuds/OneDreamADay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Eleven, Rory and Amy are stuck in Nazi Germany and shipped off to a concentration camp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

It's been three days.

Three days since The Doctor, Rory and Amy found themselves arrested by German officers. Three days since they have had sort of food, water or fresh air, trapped in a cattle car full of people and the stench of urine, vomit and body odor.

The Ponds are next to him, Amy's head in Rory's lap and he's muttering something to her. What about, he can't be sure. His mind has been a bit foggy since being on the train. Amy herself has stopped crying, though every now and then, a dry sob comes out and all either man can do is silently reassure her that somehow, they will get out of this.

There is something is a little thankful for: the three of them are together, though for how long for, he isn't sure. But he will try to make sure they stick together in anyway possible.  


He wonders how he'll get them out of this situation. Everything they had on them was confiscated when they were arrested and he wasn't able to smooth talk he way out this time- a slow fading bruise on his cheek reminds him that his last attempt failed.

The train rolls to a stop and the doors open. The Doctor shields his eyes from the sudden bright light- it hurts his eyes and takes a while for them to adjust after being in the dark for so long.

Someone helps him out of the train and he instantly looks for Rory and Amy _(stay together, stay together,_ his mind screams at him) and after a bit of shoving aside people (he thinks this might be more than a bit rude but he can't get himself to care) he finds them, clinging to each other and when they see him, hug the Doctor as tightly as they can.

He feels them squeezing the air out of him, but doesn't complain.

A German officer greets them in a loud voice.

"This is Sachsenhausen. I want women one side, men on the other."

\---  
Rory wants to put the blame on someone: on River/Mels, for starting this whole situation by wanting to go Nazi Germany; on The Doctor for agreeing; on those Teselecta people for not being quicker in killing Hitler; on himself and Amy for not thinking to leave when they had the chance to. 

As it is now, he's on pins and needles; he can see Amy in the women's line, can see the fear painfully clear on her face and wishes he can do something to make her feel better. He feels very much helpless right, unable to do anything and he wonders if the Doctor feels the same.

The men are shown where their barracks are and the first thing he notices are that the beds are wooden bunks, stacked three high with a flimsy excuse for a matters and a blanket on them.

"You, boy, what are you good at?" An elderly man addresses him and it takes a while for Rory's brain to process the question. 

"I-I'm good at nursing."

"A doctor, eh? Keep that to yourself- it's not a good job to announce you're good at. Say you're good at machinery."

"But I'm not good at machines."

"You'll learn; we'll teach you. If you go to any other camps, always tell them that. It might save your life."

\------

Both Rory and The Doctor try to find some way to escape, but it's impossible. There a strict 'shoot to kill' order if they step over what's known as the death line. 

Since they are seen as political prisoners, they get treated a bit better- far better than how the Jewish prisoners fare. Rory is quick to learn the weird hierarchy in place and even in a pit like this, being a Jew is the lowest thing here.

He misses Amy terribly but never has the chance to talk to her- the women barracks are too far way for them to talk. But he does he glimpse of her now and then and it raises his spirits to know that she's still alive.

After a month, they still have no plan of what to do and it's seems like they will be stuck here, in this pit of hell, worked to death.

They find out there will be a transfer somewhere to a new camp and the Doctor and Rory hopes it's somewhere better. Supposedly, it's to happen in the next couple of days.

But then a day passes, then two, three, four and no sign of them being transferred. He asks one of the men about it.

"The men weren't included.” He grunts out. “That transfer was only for the women."

And Rory instantly feels his world come more apart than it already has now.

\-----  
Amy doesn't really know what she expects coming to Ravensbrück. There's a stark difference from this place and Sachsenhausen; it's a lot cleaner and rations are much better. Sweet porridge with dried fruit, plus a generous portions of bread, margarine and sausage was the first meal she had at the camp; after the near starvation rations at Sachsenhausen, it's a welcome change and she gorges on the food to the point she makes herself sick. Beds are neat ad clean, sheets changed and washed regularly, along with the prisoner's clothes. 

The job themselves aren't that hard. They are made to sew soldiers' socks for the Germans, a job Amy is quick to pick up on very fast. The ladies, however, Amy has learned- make adjustments on the machines to make the fabric thin at the heel and the toe area. This, she finds, make the socks shoddy and they are easily broken when the German soldiers march. The end result will be that the soldiers sore feet and this small act of sabotage leaves them silently giggling at night.

Some of the women make little trinkets such as bracelets, necklaces and other things to keep for themselves- though at a great risk. If anyone is caught with such things, there are harsh punishments for her. 

Amy makes a small ring with Rory's name engraved on it and keeps it close to her at all times.

\----  
In a place where the usual woman has either blond or brown hair, Amy's bright red hair stand out. And it catches the attention of an SS guard. Which is usually a very bad thing in the long run.

It starts out with small, slightly innocent comments and light brushes of the hand. But already that sets Amy on edge because the women have warned each other about the attention of Karl Goden. 

All one can do is accept his advances or reject them. 

Either way, there's a chance you can end up dead. If one is extremely lucky and he is a bit fond of them, their rations will be a bit higher and work quota reduced.

Since her wedding ring is gone, her weak excuse of 'I'm married' don't work at all. ("No ring, Miss Williams, so how do I know if you are telling the truth?") He asks with a sly grin and harshly grabs her bottom.

Amy feels very much trapped. All of them are powerless to stop him- most of them have been in her shoes already and they most they can do is hug her and offer weak advice.  
He gropes her whenever he feels like it and he has a fascination with her hair; often times he pulls her aside simply to stroke it while he murmurs how he would like to be with her if she wasn't a prisoner.

It goes on for like this for a few weeks, always greeting her as 'Miss Williams' and acting like all he wants to do is take her out on a date. She thinks (very naively) he's never going to act on his advances.

In a sudden and violent way, Goden makes it known he hasn't.

She's pouring soup into bowls for the prisoners when he comes and stands next to her to watch. It's nothing new; she's almost gotten used to his presence around her, though it unnerves her greatly when he's around.

He does the same thing he usually does: stand next to her and starts humming a song. She expects nothing to happen and it's fairly uneventful.

She never sees the blow to the face coming. 

Amy feels herself being knocked to the ground and instinctively curls into a ball to protect herself from the blows from the riding crop. She's not sure how long the beating lasts; to her, it feels like an eternity- when he's finished hitting her with the crop, he aims a kick at her mid-section and spats on her.

The next day, Goden demands that her hair be shaven off.

The following day, he drags her to his barracks and rapes her.

When he's finished, he leaves a vicious bite mark on her neck (it'll never heal right and there will a faint scar to remind her of this attack)  
"I wonder when you go back to your husband, what he'll think of you." He says casually while she is working in the factory. The smirk on his face is evident and Amy is sure she is looking at a devil. "That is, if either of you are alive in the end, Mrs. Williams.” He says in a mocking tone.

He leaves a unwanted, bruising kiss on her cheek and when he completely leaves her sight, Amy allows herself to break down and cry.  
\--------

 

It's been two years, almost three, if Rory is keeping his years right.

No closer to escape, no clue of what happened to Amy.

There are times when he feels like giving up. Giving up feels a lot easier than fighting.  
Often times he wonders what he's fighting for. 

It hurts, getting up each morning to an horrible long roll call, getting meager rations, and forced to whatever work the Germans had them do that day.

His dreams mostly consists of two things these days: of food and Amy. Some of his really weird dreams have both things together.  
Sometimes he dreams of Amy.

Sometimes he dreams of being there just in time to save Amy.

Other times, he dreams that he's too late and she's just another body to be thrown in the furnace and there's nothing he can do about it.

He feels someone shaking him and after blinking a few times realizes it's the Doctor. "What?"  
"You were groaning in you sleep," the Doctor tells him, concern clear on his face. Rory starts to answer back, but a coughing fit stops him. 

"'m fine." He manages to say after his coughing has cleared. He turns his back on the Doctor; he can't stand to see the pitying look in his eyes.

\-----  
Rory hates roll call more than anything in this godforsaken camp. He's tired, everything hurts and he fights the urge to just collapse to the ground. Even in the summer, it's extremely cold and he can feels the chill to his bones. 

There are times when Rory has to remind himself of his name- that he does in fact have one and isn't simply a number: A876399

He wants to burn that number off his skin if it was possible.

He wants to be back home, or maybe on the TARDIS, and hell, he'll take running some from type of alien than being here right now.

Oh, he'd give anything if that means escaping here.

The ground sways from under him and it's a moment before Rory realizes he's going to pass out.  
Well, that's just as good too, if it means he's blissfully unaware for a while.  
\-----  
The Doctor manages to catch Rory before he hits the ground and is forced by the Kapo guard to hold the man up until the roll call is over an hour later. He and another inmate place Rory back to his bunk and the Doctor know that there a chance that Rory has gotten ill from typhus; it's been the cause of deaths lately for others and the Doctor is afraid (very, very afraid) that the Roman will be one of those numbers.

He covers Rory with blankets and hopes that Rory recovers fast enough to escape the selection that they all know will come soon.

"Poor kid probability not gonna make it," the man who was assisting him, Hans, mournfully says. There a quick prayer Hans give and offers his own blanket. "If he'll die soon, at least make it a bit for humanizing for him."

The sorrow in Hans' eyes in almost unbearable to look at; the Doctor knows a bit about the man. Knows that he lost his wife and second son prior to arriving in the camp; his first son's whereabouts are unknown, but it's what gives Hans the strength to live- the need to see him again.

The Doctor has the same idea- he wants to get his Ponds far, far away from here. He knows that Amy is alive, but he needs to find out where she is.

Oh, his Ponds. His wonderful, magnificent, glorious Ponds.  
What will become of them after this?

He feels this whole thing is his fault and it makes his hearts break because they will be more names on the list of 'Companions Whose Life's You Managed To Screw Up'.

\-----  
For every moment that reminds the Doctor of the good in humanity, it seems this place is convinced to show him the horrors that humans are capable of.

He sees a man beaten to death over some bread.

He watches as one of the guards systematically executes four men for trying to escape, then cut their already meager rations in punishment.

He looks at the sky one day and knows the falling ash is the remains of men that might have worked next to him.

\----  
Rory slowly but surely recovers, mostly because the Doctor is giving him his own rations, along with Rory's. Hunger gnaws away at him, but the Doctors steadfastly reminds himself that this a needed sacrifice. 

Two days later, the barracks finds that there will be a transport further East, possibly Poland. Talks of execution camps are all anyone can seem to bring up.

The hope that they will make it out alive dampens a bit more.

The Doctor thinks of all the times when everything seemed hopeless and, when in those times, little miracles happened.

He thinks of those times because they are in dire need one right now.

\----  
It's two weeks later when they are shipped off to Sobibor.

There are guards and asking for anyone with any kind of trade skills and Rory quickly offers himself and the Doctor, though what they know is minimum at best. Still, the Doctor knows better than to protest this and watches with sad, heavy eyes at the large group they are behind are destined for the gas chambers.

\----  
It seems the universe has listened and that small miracle has come through.

It's during the evening after work, when heading back to the barracks that there is a loud shout of both Rory and his names and suddenly there's a brilliant flash of red hair in his face- it's short, much too short and a bit dull, but it's Amy and she's alive, but oh so skinny- well they are are, really and everyone's hair is shaved off, but she here and the Ponds are back together and the trio are together and for a while, nothing can ruin this moment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, a way to escape is made.

It's Amy who overhears the plan and brings it to the attention of Rory and the Doctor. How a few prisoners are planning an escape and that they should join in. At this, the Doctor has a wide grin on his face and looks exciting- the most animated they have seen in weeks, since they had reunited with her.

"Oh, this is brilliant, just brilliant. Arrived right at the perfect moment, it seems." He's rubbing his hands in that 'oh this is exciting' matter and Amy can't help but be excited too. After much pestering, he caves in and tells them in very hushed tones of the break out that's to happen here on October 14, 1943. Only one more year they need to finally be free from here.

Amy wants to jump up in joy, but knows that that will only attract attention to themselves, so she settles on squeezing her boys' hands.

She also brings up the question of what they will do when they do get out- trapped in a foreign country with no money, no idea of who to trust and no idea of how to get back to Germany, much less where to find the TARDIS.

The Doctor doesn't say anything at first, but she knows that he has been thinking about the same thing.

"One problem at a time, Amelia." He finally says.

\-----  
There are a group of men- about eight, beaten badly- standing before them. The SS guard is telling the assembled inmates that the men are charged wit the crime of trying to escape. The guard gleefully tells them that most of the men who tried are shot dead on the spot.

"In order to teach you what the crime of escaping, he executes them, one at a time in front of the inmates. Then, whatever family they have in the camp are brought to the front and shot as well.

Instead of quelling the thought of revolting, the flames only spread more.

\----  
His name is Alexander Pechersky- a Russian who comes in with other POW in his squad- and he quickly makes himself a legend in the camp after his third day there for standing up to an SS senior officer. The leader of the Polish Jews, along with the Doctor approaches him with the idea of an escape plan. He has experience in the army and is possibly their best hope in coming up with a plan. Pechersky nods his head and agrees, though he wants the vengeance to be included: kill as many officers and guards as they can. 

The Doctor doesn't want to go along with it- he's seen too much death here and would like to avoid more if he can. But Pechersky refuses to change his mind and only with heavy reluctance does the Doctor give in, as long as he doesn't have to take part in it.

It's in the spring that rumors start of the camp being shut down start. "They'll kill all of us when they close this place, I'm sure of it." One man says while discussing it in hushed whispers at night. "There has been almost no transports here, if you have noticed. They will gas us all, cover it up and no one will every know what happened here because the Germans will cover it up."

"No, no, the world will know," the Doctor finds himself muttering out. "The world will find out and no one will ever forget what happened here."

The others might be giving him looks like he's nutters (he's heard a few people tell him this, when he goes on rambling about stuff.) But he hears the Russian chuckling. 

"Hopefully, you speak the truth, my friend."

\----  
They find out the next day that a whole transport has been killed- not in the gas chambers, as they usually are- but shot down right on the train platform. A note was discovered in the pocket of one of the dead men, conforming everyone's thoughts. "The Belzec and Treblinka have been closed, everyone's been killed and it's only a matter of time before this one is next." 

Pechersky's plan is this: the prisoners would assassinate the German SS staff- thereby rendering the auxiliary guards leaderless, obtain weapons, and eliminate the remaining guards, then make a run for it through the gates. 

The Doctor frowns at the mention of killing, but even on a certain level he has to admit there is no sure way of a non-lethal way of doing this. They have no way of tying the guards up and they can't risk the chance of anyone getting away and sounding the alarm early.

\---

Rory badly injures his ankle while working clearing trees. He manages to mend it the best he can, but with no other choice but to continue working, he's forced to stand on it. (This leads to it never healing right and he'll will have a long lasting limp.)

\- - - -

One of the men has them a change of clothes taken from the warehouse after killing the guard there- all of them have on striped prisoners' clothing and they'll be an easy target to find. Because of their emancipated state, the clothes are too big.

An hour after the attack on the guards has started, Pechersky approaches with a crudely made knife which he hands to the Doctor. "Just in case," he says; the Doctor assures him he won't need it, the Russian only smirks. "You never know when it will come in handy, my friend. Better be safe than sorry."

\---

There's a loud shout, followed by gunshots and Amy has the feeling something has gone horribly wrong- none of the prisoners were to use guns to kill the guards, with it being too big of a risk. Which means that someone's been caught.

Suddenly the code word to escape has been shouted and people are running everywhere. Amy feels herself being pulled up ("Come along Pond" is being shouted at her) and all she hears is gunfire and the three of them manage to work their way under the barbwire fence and the sounds of explosions are going off as people land on the buried mines (oh the mines, she'd forgotten about those) and she's letting herself being pulled along and tightly gripping Rory's hand in fear that if he lets out, she'll just collapse.

\---

When they finally manage to reach the forest, Rory lets himself fall to the ground and hold in his ankle, hissing in pain. Amy wants to find Pechersky and stay with him, but the Doctor shakes his head no. "He's just gonna leave us. No point. He'll collect weapons from those that have them, then leave them to fend for themselves."

Amy looks horrified at that, and wants to go back for them, but again the Doctor shakes his head, a bit reluctantly this time. "We need to keep moving, because there will be search parties out soon and we need to find somewhere to hide out at."

Amy starts to demand where he expects that will be, but stops herself. He's at much of a lost about what to do as she is and the last thing they need right now is bickering. So she instead focuses on helping Rory up and assisting him to walk.


	3. Chapter 3

They come across a barn and plan on hiding out in it for the night. Rory's ankle is throbbing like mad and the pain is so bad it makes him want in curl up in a ball. Although it smells (though it's not the worst smell every- the Doctor thinks the smell of burning flesh will forever be seared into his memory) it's dry and warm.

The Ponds are asleep and he's offered to take watch while they rest. An hour or so had passed when the barn door opened someone walked in, torch in hand. (Blimey, the light gives him a hell of a headache.) There was a dog next to the figure and at once, it began barking. 

"Come on out, whoever you are." It was a girl's voice, probably no younger than fourteen. "I've got a dog, and I'll let him bite you something fierce if you don't come out."

The dog let out another growl and the Doctor let out a laugh dispute himself. "I'm pretty sure he won't," He said, coming in full view of the girl. Just his luck: she had a gun. 

"Yeah, he will," she insisted, taking a slow step near him, the gun in her hand raising higher. "I've trained him to bite anyone when I tell him."

The dog let out another growl and the Doctor chuckled. "No, he won't because apparently we smell bad and it hurts his nose."

"You're a bit queer, aren't you?" To which the answer was a shrug.

"Been told that once or twice before, maybe."

"You're not German, are you?" 

"No, no, not German, We're no threat to you at all."

"...You're from that camp? The one with the breakout?" The Doctor slowly nodded, and the girl viable relaxed. "Well, come on then. Best to hurry up and get you inside before those Germans show up."

\-----

They have porridge and bread (warm, fresh bread with actual butter) to eat and the Doctor thinks the porridge looks like sick in a bowl, but after nothing but moldy bread and thin watery soup, it tastes wonderful. It takes a lot of self control not to stuff his face. Not that Maryna, the girl will let them. She sternly reminds them to eat slowly and takes care bandaging their wounds; Rory is given ice for his very swollen ankle. They give their names (The Doctor giving his human alias of John Smith.)

It seems like they've arrived at the right place- Maryna's mother offers them help without questions and lets them bathe and gives them new clean clothes. Their old, lice infected clothes are taken outside to be burned.

"We Polish have it just as bad as the Jews," Maryna's mother, Biata explains when Amy asks why they help. "The Germans see us as sub-human, want to wipe us out along with the Jews, it seems." She sends her daughter out to get some eggs from the chicken coop. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need to; we'll keep you hidden. I won't demand much. I don't want money; just help out where you can."

All of them give a grateful smile and the mood is ruined a bit when Maryna comes in with a armload of eggs and drops them all.

"Is it to much to ask for a sweater?" The Doctor asks, stooping down to help clean up the mess. "It's a bit chilly to me."  
\------  
"You have a huge chin."

"Oi!"

"You do."

"Well you're rude."

"Thank you."

John looks up from peeling his potatoes. Maryna notices that he looks tired and figures he hasn't gotten much sleep in the five days he and his friends have been here. "That wasn't suppose to be a compliment."

Maryna laughs and starts cutting up the peeled potatoes for stew. "Where are you from?"

"Far away from here."

"How far?"

"Far, far away."

"How far is that?" When he doesn't answer, she tries another. "Is John Smith your real name? Because that's not very German or Polish or even Russian. Are you American, or British, maybe?" 

John laughs, but still doesn't answer and it's a bit frustrating to Maryna. "Are you three American spies? Is that what you were doing when you got sent to the camp?"

He gives a cheeky smirk that lets the girl know she's not going to a clear answer and Maryna rolls her eyes. "You're still a bit queer, you know."

"You'll never stop reminding me, will you?"

"Nope." And it's her turn to give a cheeky little grin. She watches him peel potatoes and thinks he's very good at it (it looks very neat and tidy.) She tells John he needs to show her how to do that. Every time she tries to peel them, it looks horrible.

He smirks a bit. "Maybe I will." He finishes the last one and walks away from the table wanting a sweater because it's really way too cold right now.

Maryna follows him with a strange look because it's too warm in their tiny little kitchen.

\-----

It's cold and damp in the cellar (it feels much, much colder to the Doctor and he can't stop shivering - hasn't been able to stop since yesterday) and he's is trying very hard not to cough, since one noise could very well kill them all. The Ponds are next to him, huddled in a tiny corner that can barely fit one person, much less three.

He can hear the German officers upstairs telling another man to check the basement. while another checks the attic. He can hear the breaking of dishes as something gets knocked over and what sounds like a bookshelf get turned over.

Outside, there are gunshots.

Footsteps come down to the basement and the Doctor does his best to stifle the coughs that want to come out. He checks one area of the basement, taking out a sack and fulling half of it with potatoes. There's a wine rack, and he helps himself to all of the wine. He turns to go upstairs, and the Doctor feels himself takes a breath, not realizing he had been holding his breath. He also feels very exhausted and would like to go to sleep now.

Finally, Maryna's mother gives the all-clear sigh (three knocks on the door). Upstairs, the two are cleaning up the remains of broken dishes. She smiles weakly at them. 

"No harm done. Turns out if you gave a German wine, meat and cheese, he's happy. Shot a few of my chicken. Hope they choke on the meat, the pigs-"

Whatever she says gets lost because in the Doctor gets violently sick all over the floor. Rory's next to his side in a heartbeat, hand on his forehead and asking how long he's been feeling ill. The Doctor is trying to explain to Rory that Time Lords don't get sick, but then again, he didn't think Time Lords could almost starve to death, so there's that. 

Suddenly both the Ponds are telling him to be quiet and the Doctor becomes cross with the both of them because Rory just wanted to wanted to know what was wrong with- and no, Pond, for the last time he's not sick because Time Lords don't get sick thank you very much.

He's placed in a bed and whatever Rory is saying is lost on him because sleep decided to claim him.

\- -- - - 

"Typhus, for sure." Biata informs them as Rory helps the Doctor sips at some water. Amy feels horrible because she feels like this is something they should have noticed, but they were to caught up in their own issues to notice. 

Fortunately, Biata does have experience in dealing with this, and with no trustworthy doctor available (according to Biata, the old doctor was arrested because he was Jewish and she doesn't trust the new doctor they have replaced him with) they are on their own and do their best to make the Doctor comfortable while he's sick.

\------

He dreams of Gallifrey, of Susan, of Barbara and Ian. Of Jamie and Victoria and Sarah Jane and Jo and Adric and Ace. 

Of Rose and Mickey and Martha and Donna.

Then he dreams of Gallifrey burning and people whose lives he had ruined and people who have died for him and suddenly he can't help but cry and scream.

\------

Dealing with a delirious John is scary, Maryna thinks. Sometimes he speaks in long rambling, confused speech, mixing up everyone's names (Amy tells her their the names of old friends of his) or sometimes his speech becomes guttural and it sounds like a completely different language and it's a bit scary to hear that. 

She goes into his room to place a cool towel on his forehead. Rory is also in there, but he's fallen asleep in his chair. John opens his eyes weakly and smiles.

"Good old humans," He murmurs. "Just when I think I've seen the worst of you, there's always a bunch of you to prove you're worth saving."

Maryna is a bit confused by that, but doesn't say anything about it, blaming it on his delirium. He's been saying a lot of weird things because of it.

She gives him a small kiss on the cheek and whispers for him to hurry and get better because-

_(she wants to ask him about Gallifrey and where is that? Why did it burn? What a tardis? And can he really travel to the stars?)_

-he still needs to teach her how to peel potatoes as neatly as he does.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such A hard time ending this story, so please excuse the crappy reason for finding the TARDIS and it being a Deux Ex Machina and not even being a clear reason as to how to find it.

It takes almost a week for the Doctor's fever to break and another week for him to get back to feeling well again and it's with a bit of joy, Rory and Amy tell him the one thing he's been wanting to hear for the longest time: 

They know where to find the TARDIS.

Because they, while looking about the bombing of the Altes Museum in Berlin, there in the TARDIS, tucked away in the corner.

\-----

Getting to Berlin won't be an easy task. They have no identity cards and there are soldiers at each train station, still searching for escaped prisoners. 

In other words, it's nearly impossible.

Biata gets in contact with her brother Jan, who a member of the Polish Resistance and they offer some help. He mutters he think they are all crazy for wanting to go into Germany and the Doctor grins and tell him "Crazy is my middle name."

\-----

Maryna is in the tears the day before they go. She follows- mostly the Doctor, as she seems to taken a fancy to him- almost everywhere and is inconsolable the days they leave.

"Promise you'll come back? When the war is over, yeah?" She pleads. "I don't care how long it takes."

The Doctor taps the tip of her nose. "Cross my hearts, I'll come back to see you. Maybe take you on a trip." Even though a part of him wants to never return to this place, he promises.

\------

Being smuggled across the border involves being on the bed of a truck, with hay placed on top of them (thankful, it's clean, though it still itches like hell.) Then, with fake identity cards, it easy to get into Berlin at last. Their contact drops them off on the edge of the city, not willing to go any further. He gives them a parcel of food; hats to cover their shaved head and a somewhat heartfelt 'good luck'. It's nearly nightfall and to avoid the police looking for those out past curfew, the three hide out in a bombed out building. Amy sleeps fitfully, crying out at some points during her sleep; the Doctor and Rory don't sleep at all.

In the morning, they resume their search for the museum, which is easier said then done because They have to travel by foot most of the way and it's a tiresome walk, but when they do find the TARDIS, stored in the way back of the bombed museum, (it's the Doctor who find her and he shouts Yowzah so loud they get are overheard by security, not that it matters much because everyone makes it inside the before they are caught and before Amy knows it she crying because they are safe, and everyone's alive and she's wrapped up in a group hug, clinging to Rory. Part of her is afraid that this is a dream; she'll wake up soon, back in the barracks sleeping on lice and flea-infested hay and the smell of death lingering in the air.

The TARDIS seems to pick on this though because the floor hums gently, almost in a soothing way and Amy can feel herself relax a bit.

\------

It's a bit hard, trying to go back to normalcy after all they have been through. There are nightmares, panic attacks and breakdowns, sometimes triggered by the smallest things.   
The Doctor had suggested to simply just drift in the time vortex for a while, least until they can recover (physically anyways)

Sleepless nights become a usual thing.

Amy or Rory can usually be found in the library reading. Sometimes, the Doctor joins them, other times. The Doctor can usually be found tinkering with the TARDIS when the dreams become too bad. Sometimes Rory will join him and help him out. Sometimes it's Amy, bringing mugs of tea or hot cocoa with her. If it's been really bad nightmares, she'll have a tray of fish fingers and custard along with tea.

Sometimes they talk about nothing in particular, the Doctor talking about various planets he been to, Rory about various thing he's dealt with while working as a nurse, and Amy will bring up something she had to bail Mels out of. 

Other times, there's no talking. Just them quietly enjoying the other person's presence and that's just as good.

\----

Rory catches the Doctor in the wardrobe room, looking over his shaved head very intensely in a mirror and frowning. Finally he places a fez on his head and turns to see Rory. 

"How do I look?" He asks finally.

"Don't let Amy and River see you with that on," Rory answers, "Or they'll shoot it off your head again."

The Doctor smirks a bit and turns back to the mirror, fixing his bow tie. "Fezzes are cool." There's a small silence between them for a while then the Doctor turns back to him. "Rory, I'm so, so sorry for what happened."

Before he knows it, he's pulled into a tight hug. Nothing else is said, but the Doctor can hear the message: "It's not your fault."

\----

Amy has refused to talk about what happened to her during the period they were separated in different camps. Though, without needing to ask or reading her mind, the Doctor can take a guess as to what happened.

It's in the way Amy suddenly freezes when she's touched unexpectedly, or the way she gets uncomfortable around other men. There the tell-tell signs of her rubbing her skin raw while in the shower.

There are times when he and Rory catch her staring, off in her own thoughts, idly tracing a small scar on her neck, almost as if she's not aware she's doing it.

She also refuses to talk about how she got that scar, but the Doctor won't pry.

\----

The first time Rory has a piece of chocolate after almost three years overwhelms him for some reason and he has to sit down and laughs/cries a bit because a chocolate bar has never tasted so good before.

Another time, while looking through a marketplace with Amy on a planet, he suddenly dives into a alley to get violently sick because they smell of cooking meat makes him recall the smell of burning bodies and it's a long time before he can get himself to tolerate that smell again.

\-----

The moment when Rory was able to kiss his wife without her flinching away from him feels like the best thing ever.

Sex, however, is a completely different thing.

The first time they tried ended with him having a black eye and Amy pushing herself against the wall as far as possible. It had taken about an hour to calm her down. Amy spends the whole night apologizing and Rory gives her a wry grin and tells her it's his fault and he shouldn't have pushed her into something when she wasn't ready. (Though at the time, she had seemed perfectly okay until the moment he had moved to be on top ad that was when she, quite forcefully, pushed him away.)

The Doctor notices the bruise on his face in morning (or what could be considered morning when they are on the TARDIS anyways) and tries to pretend he doesn't. At some point during the day, an ice pack is placed on a table in the kitchen area. Neither Amy or the Doctor acknowledges that they were the one to place it there, and end the end, Rory thinks it doesn't matter.

\---

The second time was more of the same, just minus the bruising to the face.  
Rinse and repeat for the next three times.

\----

Eventually though, they do manage to get pass the seemly impossible hurdle of actual sex (after one long private conversation which leaves Rory upset, Amy in tears, and the Doctor wondering what he missed.) It's a huge relief and Amy can't but think Rory looks a bit to happy about it. Mostly because he spends the whole day grinning to the point where the Doctor asks him what has him so happy.

"Wait, no, don't tell me. I have a feeling I don't want to know." He says because they are making what he calls flirting eyes at each other and quickly retreats from the kitchen.

\----

It's been almost thirty years since they've last been here (really doesn't feel like it however) and per the Ponds request, brings them to the memorial for the victims of Sobibor. Amy places a bouquet of flowers at the memorial and after a while, the three get ready to leave when their names are shouted out.

It takes a moment for the Doctor to realize who he is looking at- but finally it come to him- she's not longer a young girl but well into her forties, long black hair curled and tied up under a scarf. Maryna smiles at them all. "Here I was thinking I'd never see you again."

She hugs them all, giving them all an update about her life: she's married now, with a daughter and son. She works as a school teacher in her tiny little village. She never questions why they look like they never aged a bit and it unnerves the Doctor a bit. But as she's about to leave, she says to the Doctor:

"Found your TARDIS, then?"

He looks startled at that, confusion all over his face, but she explains that she heard him mention it, back when he was sick and delirious. 

He wonders what else he might have mentioned while ill, but doesn't ask.

He takes her to the TARDIS, watches the surprise in her eyes and she explores inside ("It's bigger on the inside," he mouths along with her.) and offers her a trip, which she gladly accepts.

\----

The Doctor drops off Maryna at home after a quick trip to see the stars. She gives them all a hug and says she's glad they're going okay.

The Doctor smirks and fixes his bow tie. "I'm the King of Okay," he says. Maryna gives him a look that says she doesn't quite believe him, however she says nothing else on the matter. With one final goodbye and hugs all around, she goes back home.

\---

'Okay' would not be the term Rory would use to describe them right now. If he had to use a word, it would be 'managing'.

They are managing to make it through the still sleepless nights, through the occasional nightmare, through the sudden relapse that happens and puts everything to a crashing halt. 

But they make it slowly- one day at a time, Rory reminds them and himself- and right now, it's all they can do.


End file.
